Contrary to what you might perceive from my pics, I'm actually a
very happy man (I think I look ridiculously serious, except for the
pic where I'm grinning like a mad man into the camera...the real Q:
can you pick out the pic I'm talking about? Your answer will tell
me more about you than it tells you about me. Trust me). I will not
bite or growl...unless that's something you're into. Rawr. I can
also be a tad bit irreverent. :) I suppose I'd say I am a pretty
laid back (as in laying on my back looking up at the stars on a
summer night), humorous (at least I find life pretty amusing),
genuine (yep, I'm 100% me!), and caring person (/me hands you a
cookie). I do judge, but I am rarely judgmental. I look for the
humor in life, while at the same time being realistic and driven to
achieve my dreams and aspirations (which can be really confounding
to some people). But if you can't have fun while doing all that,
what's the point, really? :)

All that said, I do tend to get along better with people my age or
younger--I have no idea why. Well, I have some suspicions, but I've
not had the opportunity to really verify those thoughts. I just
enjoy open-minded, non-jaded, "the
world-is-still-relatively-new-to-me" perspectives, and I enjoy
being with someone as they experience new things...thus the
attraction to a younger crowd, I suppose. Regardless, I readily
admit folks can be young-at-heart (just have to look into the
mirror to verify *that* lol), so it's just a general rule of thumb
with me.

BTW: I am living proof that a humanities degree (Philosophy) can
lead to a rewarding (intellectually, financially, blah blah) life
in which you can meet new and interesting people, be happy, and
which it actually is difficult to get bored. Which is very good for
someone like me who has "shiny object syndrome" (S.O.S. lol). Yea,
yea, I have a masters...in business admin (yesh, that's an MBA)
which I obtained to piss off my hoity toity fellow Philo graduates;
more so, tho, because I started a company and rapidly realized that
I was sadly ill prepared--like a straight guy who stumbles drunk
into a bear bar (and I'm not talking about Yogi Bear here, folks).
All that said, back when I was in college, I was hired by my
university's IT division to create programs for them that had never
been created before (oh it involved craziness including encryption,
identity management, cross domain multifactor authentication, all
wrapped in a nice extensible architecture accessible via a rather
elegant API). They kept using it. For 15 years. In compy program
lifespans, that's the equivalent to a 975 year old person. Why do I
tell you this? Well, for some reason, my right and left brain not
only like to talk to each other--but they frequently prank each
other, much to my amusement.

Also: sad to have to actually note this, but I have zero tolerance
for manipulative head games designed to harm another. If that's
what you're interested in doing, please move along until you mature
a bit more. Kthx! <- stated for ironic effect...

Living it with very few regrets. I'm a very curious person, so I
enjoy being able to satisfy that. But more importantly, I like
living on my terms (and not necessarily those of society, other
people's preconceived notions, etc.). Appreciating what we take for
granted is something I also tend to do. Career-wise, I have a job
(emerging technologies strategist--google it if you want a chuckle)
I love that pays me entirely too much--which affords me a certain
degree of freedom that most people actually lack (even if they're
not aware of it). That said, I still chafe that I don't have all of
the freedom that I would like to have--and that I think all of us
deserve. I have long term goals that I've decided I'd like to
pursue at some point...but all in good time...in the meantime, I
intend to enjoy myself, help as many others as I can, and do both
as often as possible.

Thinking things through clearly, being imaginative and creative. I
also seem to motivate people, and I enjoy making people happy. I'm
pretty good with technology, am handy with power tools, and can
actually grill a pretty good steak. I also have an artistic side
that occasionally (k, almost constantly) demands an avenue to
express itself. Oh. And I tend to be a very good listener (or at
least that's what folks have told me). Love to teach (but,
honestly, I spend just as much time learning), and can be a
technogeek (again, part of the job, but also a part of me lol).

I now have something to write here as I actually had someone tell
me: "you cause the world to sparkle". Further explanation is kinda
necessary here: no, I do not slather myself in glitter. I think I'd
be somewhat uncomfortable about that, just because I don't think
slathering anything on oneself is particularly fun. In most cases.
No, what the person meant (after I asked for clarification--I
needed to know if I should be offended, bemused, or thankful) is
that I have some mad gleam in my eyes that constantly (evidently)
sparks. I get a thought and I can't wait to see where the
conversation will go--what you'll say, or perhaps more
interestingly, not say. I can carry on conversations for hours
(days?) and really not care about the rest of the world, because I
only care about, at that moment, is you. I have often had people
tell me that I get them to talk about themselves more than they
otherwise would. I just find people fascinating. Through it all,
though, the synapses inside my noggin are exploding like a
continuous Fourth of July fireworks display. For some reason, in
typing that, I feel dirty, like it's overtly sexual. /me shrugs
shoulders.

So that was what I was told. And there you go. Evidently I cause
the world to sparkle. Gods, how gay. :P

Love a variety of books, get most into anything that causes the
noggin to actually stretch some. Tho I tend to lean more towards
fiction, some non-fiction can be more trippy than the imaginative
meanderings of the world's leading SciFi authors. That said my
favorite SciFi books are the Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons. The
man packed more imagination in four books than most who've written
20+ book series. Ehm.

Love movies--one of my favorite things to do is to cuddle up on the
couch and catch a good movie. Some favorites include Memento and
Usual Suspects (since both caused me to sit back and grin at the
end). Also Shawshank Redemption, Stardust (again, both caused me to
grin, but for different reasons, entirely). Big music aficionado,
too...two genres I do NOT get into: country and gangsta rap (alas,
they only exceedingly rarely cause me to grin--see a pattern,
here?). Mostly listen to Alt/Rock/Punk. Favorite food:
Mediterranean. *chomp* -- and big grin. :P

Full disclosure: if I honestly filled this out this section would
go on and on and on and on. I've been accused of writing short
novels (they're called novellas, folks) in the guise of emails, but
alas, when my mind gets engaged, it's hard to hit the off switch.
Mainly b/c there exists no such switch. Bwahahahahahaa. Ye have
been warned. So, instead of a fully, um, thought out thesis of my
thoughts, I shall give you the ever so popular 21st century ADD
version (er, known in the olden days as a synopsis):

What do I spend a lot of time thinking about?
All manner of things! Hah. There ya go. Vague and broad. Pithy yet
open to interpretation. Fill it in as you see fit--then show it to
me, b/c I will undoubtedly find it fascinating. I love seeing the
world (and myself) through the eyes of another.

Other than that, *thinking* is actually part of my job--I'd be
doing it even if they didn't pay me. Shhh. Don't tell them that! As
it is, they *do* pay me, so I guess I'm pretty lucky.

Still, it amuses me that I've not really said anything of substance
here. If you were wondering *what* I think about, let's see...all
manner of things. Hahaha. Not going to fall for that again? Hrmph.
K. Fine. Some things I think about include (but is certainly not
all inclusive): the human condition; human nature; philosophical
conundrums, politics, architecture, music, social engineering,
theoretical physics, astrobiology, theories of social justice, my
friends and family. Want to get me to start chuckling? Ask me about
Libertarians. Oh, the immense amusement to be had in that fertile
field...

Hrm. A number of possibilities: hanging out w/friends (cooking out,
watching a game, catching a good movie), out on a date (which can
be the best option), sitting back and enjoying a laid back night,
maybe hitting a bar with friends, or going out to dinner, movies,
theater. Maybe just hanging out at a friend's place. Or--ye gods,
how retro--reading a damned good book curled up on the couch or on
the bed...by myself, thankyouverymuch.

All of which sounds trite and a bit boring to me, upon reading it
again. So, what else? What can I say to give you some insight into
that which makes me, well, me? Hmmmm. I have been known to go
streaking through a downtown section of a small coastal city. Or
plodding along a beach which had just been visited by
bioluminescent algae...at midnight...just to see the evidence of my
passing in the form of glowing foot prints in the sand. Or laying
on my back watching the Persid meteor shower provide nature's
original vision of a fireworks display. Or simply cuddling up and
holding someone as I gaze into the dance of the flames from my
fireplace. Very hypnotic, that. Especially with some nice music
softly wafting in the background.

Er...the only thing I get possessive about in my fridge are grapes.
Yes. Grapes. I'm a big fan. Go figure.

There are other things, of course, that I could admit to. There's
the unfortunate incident involving the furry woodland creature,
M&Ms, a friend frolicking in the woods in his tighty whiteys
while his brother beat our food supplies with a stick, and the fact
that to get away from the bear we'd have to run *up* hill....but
I'm not wiling to admit any responsibility for any of that, nor
acknowledge it even happened. At least not here. Where *anyone*
could read such scandalous things. :P

You're interested in an interesting conversation, you're interested
in any/all of the following: video games, sky diving, rock
climbing, traveling, cooking out, hiking/camping, having deep
conversations over pitchers of beer (or, alternatively, cups
o'coffee). You've chuckled or at least been slightly amused by
reading this profile. If you were NOT at least slightly amused,
please don't msg me as we'd just end up staring at each other
awkwardly until I was forced to break the tension by balling up the
wrapping from my drink's straw and launching said balls at your
forehead whilst screaming "BANZAI!" whenever I inevitably scored a
direct hit. Between your eyes. Or on the tip of your nose. Or, for
bonus points, into your ear. Or something like that. Now see?
Imagining *that* caused me to chuckle. It's not too difficult. You
should give it a try. :P